4:22AM
Letter from Sharqawi
Hossam el-Hamalawy
Mohamed el-Sharqawi has sent a testimony on his arrest and torture, from Tora Prison.
Here’s the English translation of it:
....
For those of you, dear readers, who are wondering what Maktab el-Mokafha, the “Counter Bureau,� mentioned in Sharqawi's letter means--this is short for Maktab Mokafhet el-Shyou3ia, the “Counter-Communism Bureau.� (Yes, I'm not joking wallahi.) It is a department in State Security Police, which was actually inherited from the Political Apparatus, the pre-1952 predecessor of Egypt’s State Security Police.
The Counter-Communism Bureau's job is to infiltrate, monitor, and crack communist, and generally left-wing, organizations in Egypt. The director of that bureau now is State Security Lt. Colonel Waleed el-Dessouqi. Several leftist activists have previously accused Dessouqi of involvement in their interrogation under torture.
On another note, I visited last night Ahmad el-Droubi, who’s been recently released, at his home in Heliopolis. I couldn’t recognize him initially, as they shaved his long Ché-like hair and he grew a beard. Droubi was in good spirit, and his morale was high. He shared his prison stories with me and other fellow AUC alumnus. He still hasn’t lost his sense of humor. Droubi, and other friends, had gone earlier on Saturday morning to Tora again, this time as visitors not prisoners, to see Sharqawi. Droubi and another friend told me, though bruised and fatigued, Sharqawi was also in good spirit, and determined not to let the abusers go unpunished.
Here’s the English translation of it:
A Letter from Mohamed el-Sharqawi
Kidnapped on 25 May, Currently in Cell 8-1, Mahkoum Tora
How I was kidnapped, beaten and tortured for eight hours?
I went through many moments of fear and horror in my life, but nothing was like those I went through after I left the Press Syndicate on 25 May, 2006, around 6pm. I got into one of my colleagues’ car, to take a ride to the train station, so as to catch the train to Alexandria. I wanted to see my family, after a period by no means short—30 days—behind bars in Tora Prison.
The car stopped at the traffic light of Abdel Khaleq Tharwat St. crossing Talaat Harb St. I wasn’t paying attention, till my colleague screamed, “Who are those?!� I looked around me, and behind the windows there were tens of men in plain clothes trying to open the door. I could only think of one thing in few seconds… State Security personnel had come to kidnap me… I threw whatever I was carrying in the car, and opened the door, only to be met with a violent push into the entrance of the last building on Abdel Khaleq Tharwat St., before it crosses Talaat Harb St.
The fiesta started. They introduced themselves to me by their swift fists, till one of them kicked me to the floor. There was about 20 persons or more. Their punches and kicks came one after the other, and without much planning, which led them to kick one another, because they were all keen to do anything that props them up in front of their bosses. I could not recognize any of the faces, but three. I had seen them before several times in demos.
The first kept on insulting me with the dirtiest slurs and words, which actually left me feeling he was talking about himself instead. He gave me the first kick, which invited other legs to join in. These were moments of so much pain, so many insults, so many hits.
The second was one of the Public Security (Al-Amn Al-3am) officers. After he saw the blood pouring from my nose and mouth he tried to stop the beating. He was shocked when he was banned from doing that. All of this is happening while I’m on the floor, with their feet sending my body pain signals all over.
The third did most of the beatings. He is also the one who dragged me on the floor and staircase till I was shoved in a blue police van. He kept on hitting me, and asked for my mobile, which I was carrying at the Press Syndicate. His, and the others’, slurs where directed at me, my mother and father… I was seated in the van behind the driver’s seat, while he sat across me, and kept on hitting my face strongly and swiftly.
I can’t say I held on for a long time while they were beating me in the building entrance, back in Abdel Khaleq Tharwat. After they threw me to the floor, and found myself bleeding, I kept on screaming. I don’t why, but I was scared, and it’s human. And it’s my right to fear death on their hands without anyone knowing anything about me.
After I got into the van, I was told to put my head between my knees, and of course I obeyed their order. As soon as I did, they started hitting me on my back with all their strength.
I can say I was completely silent till they said they arrived. They took me out of the van, and went up three steps, then another relatively narrow staircase, before they led into a wide corridor, then to another staircase. Finally, they threw me in a room, and the beatings started again.
Before that, back in the street and the building entrance, the beatings went on for at least 20 minutes, and targeting all my body. Also in the street, every animal hit any spot he could reach in my body. This even led them on occasions to kick one another’s legs, which was in my interest I guess to decrease the beatings I receive.
On the way to the place they took me to, I heard one of them saying, “Close off the Garden City traffic light, and don’t let anyone pass, for the Sheriff's car.� I knew then I was in Qasr el-Nil Police Station, as there were no other police stations in Garden City. Also the stair steps I walked on is similar to those of Qasr el-Nil’s.
Inside the police station, it was different. The beatings targeted places in particular, which showed more professionalism in practicing torture and sadism.
The started repeating one sentence, “What the fuck brought you today?� Then, they hit me in several places on my body, till someone ordered them, “take his pants off.� They unbuttoned my trousers quickly, while he shouted “you are a fag, wearing colored underwear.� Inside, I wanted to laugh, but the injuries my face sustained and the blindfold they had on my eyes prevented my facial expressions. After that, he started rubbing my left testicle, I think, with great pleasure. The pain was terrible. He kept on doing it for three minutes, during which I was screaming asking him to stop so that I can catch my breath. He took down my underwear, and tore it to pieces, and kept on hitting me on different parts of my body asking me to bend down. I refused, but they forced me. Then, this man, the one with the angry rough voice, inserted a paper in my anus. They kept doing their job, beating me, till I heard him say, “Lift his trousers up. May God curse he who looks, and he who’s being looked at.� I couldn’t help but appreciate so much the faith this man might have had sometime.
After that, I was asked about the money I had in my pockets, and whether Dr. Hani Enan gave it to me. I said I borrowed it from my friend Mohamed Taima. They asked me about my mother, and told me she was sick in Alexandria, and that she will die before she sees me. Then I felt so much remorse for not traveling to see her as soon as I was released.
A short while later, another person, I think I know well, came in and told me: “Do you know now, @#$%, that you are worth nothing, and if we wanted to get you, we would get you? We would get you in three minutes you son of a dirty woman.� I was silent. I couldn’t figure out anymore what’s happening around me. The beatings were almost over, when I was told to lie on my stomach. He stood on my back with his feet and said, “you sons of $#%^@! As long as I’m in the Maktab el-Mokafha, the "Counter Bureau," I will screw the shit out of you. You are all not even worth 10 piasters.� It was then that I recognized he was one of the sick people, called the “Mr. President Security� officers, formerly known as “State Security.�
He then added, “What brought you today you son of #$%^? True you didn’t chant, but you are acting important, giving interviews to journalists and satellites.� Finally he added, “I brought you the other pimp. He’s in the other room.� I asked him “whom?� He answered, “Essam al-Islambouli’s fag.� I said, “Whom? I don’t know.� He answered “Karim el-Shaer. You are pretending to be thugs. Alright. This time it’s a case, and you’ll never see Earth again… And your mother will die without seeing you…�
He finished talking, and ordered me to sit on the floor. I sat for more than two hours, scared of stretching my legs lest someone hit me, till they came to handcuff me, and put me blindfolded inside the prisoners’ truck. I heard someone inside saying “Karim, with whom you were in the car?� I knew then he was with me. The truck moved, and for few moments I thought I was on the road to Lazoughli. However, as the we crossed freeways with no change in direction, I assumed we were either heading to State Security HQ in Nasr City, or to the State Security Prosecution in Heliopolis, which we should name Waleed al-Dessouqi’s branch-Heliopolis—and that’s where we went.
Before they let us into the detention cell, they took off the blindfold, but not the handcuffs. First, they denied us water and going to the restroom. After a while, they left us, but I still went to the restroom, handcuffed, in their company.
After that, they called my name, and went upstairs to see the chief prosecutor. As soon as I got in, he asked me, “Who did this to you?� I told him the story, so he said, “ok, I’ll start the interrogation.� I asked him, “where are the lawyers?� He said, “Are there lawyers? If they are present, I’ll send for them. Go wash your face and come back.�
I got into the toilet, and stood in front of a mirror. I couldn’t believe what I saw. I saw someone else standing with red eyes, swollen face, and a bare chest full of cuts and bruises.
I returned to the chief prosecutor’s office, to find Gamal Eid, and another lawyer called Mr. Sayyed. I felt secure as soon as I saw Gamal, as after all he is a dear friend. The interrogation started. They told me to record every injury and how it happened to me, where, when and by who. Moments later, Ragia Omran came in with Ahmad—they are two lawyers. After I recorded my injuries, I said I refuse to be interrogated in front of the State Security Prosecution, and asked for a magistrate.
I left the Prosecutor’s building, after I spoke on the phone with Nora, Manal, Salma, Walaa, and Salma’s mother Dr. Mona. I felt so much pride and strength having all of them around me.
After all of this, I found myself in front of the gate of Tahqiq Tora Prison. Between the time of my arrest, till my arrival at Tora, the time passed was no more than eight hours.
Before I got into the prison, I saw Nora and Manal who were behind me, following the Prisoners’ Truck. Manal’s laughter and Nora’s smiles mean a lot to me. I one wrote to Nora that I used to remember her laughter and say “Tomorrow Egypt will be better.�
I am now in Tora Prison. I admit I miss Ahmad Droubi, Salma, Manal, Walaa, Nora and everybody. But I have friends and brothers here… Kamal, Maher, Walaa and Alaa.
Mohamed el-Sharqawi,
Tahqiq Tora Prison, Cell 8-1
....
For those of you, dear readers, who are wondering what Maktab el-Mokafha, the “Counter Bureau,� mentioned in Sharqawi's letter means--this is short for Maktab Mokafhet el-Shyou3ia, the “Counter-Communism Bureau.� (Yes, I'm not joking wallahi.) It is a department in State Security Police, which was actually inherited from the Political Apparatus, the pre-1952 predecessor of Egypt’s State Security Police.
The Counter-Communism Bureau's job is to infiltrate, monitor, and crack communist, and generally left-wing, organizations in Egypt. The director of that bureau now is State Security Lt. Colonel Waleed el-Dessouqi. Several leftist activists have previously accused Dessouqi of involvement in their interrogation under torture.
On another note, I visited last night Ahmad el-Droubi, who’s been recently released, at his home in Heliopolis. I couldn’t recognize him initially, as they shaved his long Ché-like hair and he grew a beard. Droubi was in good spirit, and his morale was high. He shared his prison stories with me and other fellow AUC alumnus. He still hasn’t lost his sense of humor. Droubi, and other friends, had gone earlier on Saturday morning to Tora again, this time as visitors not prisoners, to see Sharqawi. Droubi and another friend told me, though bruised and fatigued, Sharqawi was also in good spirit, and determined not to let the abusers go unpunished.
Reader Comments (42)
[...] So, they finally released Ahmed Al Droubi , one of the bloggers who got arrested, which would leave Alaa, Asma and Malek in priosn. However, Sharkway, who was just released a few days ago, decided to go to the May 25th Demo, and did nothing except hold a sign that said " I want my rights back". And for that he got kidnapped by state secuirty, arrested, beaten up, tortures and sexually assaulted. His account of what happend is right here . [...]
[...] Read the entire letter here. The Arabic version is here. [...]
Horrible, disgusting to say the least. Beating up, and sexually abusing citizens is a crime, at least in my books. I hope reforms take hold and transforms Egypt. In the meanwhile have faith in your friends, family and fellow citizens who need a lot of patience and endurance. Let nonviolence shown the patnh tpo freedom. The principles of Mahatma Gandhi will show you victory.
But I feel helpless and wish such such atrocious violence dealt on unarmed citizens coems to end, not only in Egypt but the world over.
Venkatesh
USA
[...] after checking out a story on yahoo, i started finding site after site of people who are oppressed and are using the internet to speak out. very interesting and it is hard to feel how lucky we are as americans until we encounter and see what people around the world are going through. [...]
I really wonder - we human beings are soo base now, that our actions are that of a sophisticated animal - tails and all. I assume that the so called Eqyption authority must be made up of persons ( Moslems, Christians, etc). But surely they are false Moslems / Christians for ignoring the basic human rights sanctioned by both the Qur'an and the Bible. Are we allowing ANIMALs in the shape of humans to have authority over us?
I agree with Dave - adopt Martin Luther King's method and strategise it with mass communication. Ppl in the wrong are always scared of mass / public judgement.
Whatever u do, persevere (istiqamah). May God bless you.
Having the conviction of martin Luther King or Ghandi is one thing, but that must be coupled with a deeply rooted belief in divine intervention. You must truly belief in the oneness of humanity and love even your oppressors seeing them as victims of years of brainwashing. If everybody is a victim, then we can empathize and maintain calm in the storm. Dont let the vile nature of their deeds keep you from loving them as children of God. Your witness will eventually free them from the bonds of evil, though it may come only with the taking of your own life. this is the most difficult sacrifice for us, yet the most redemptive as well.
peace
My Serbian experience just helps me to show all respect of mine and to say:' Fuck off, you mutherfuckers!'
Hej Mubarak, Milosevic is waiting for you. Don't let him wait too long!
I lost my faith so I don't believe such a sacrifice
is worth, but I support all the people that believe they are strong enough to change something and to break the system! The others bring decisions for us, but go for your battle and kick them under their belts!
why dont the people of egypt rebel i mean why not another civil war that police station and a prison would be my first targets and then work your way up
[...] بعدها بيومين اتنين زرناه Ù�ÙŠ سجن طرة.. الكدمات كانت مالية جسمه ومش عارÙ� يتكلم أو يبلع.. وعامل بذراعه جبيره اÙ�تراضية لصدره.. لكن كمان كان كاتب شهادته بتÙ�اصيل وقائع التعذيب.. شهاده بتبين قد ايه هو ذكي وناشط سياسي Øقيقي Ù�ÙŠ دولة بوليسية.. طول Ù�ترة الضرب والتعذيب كان بيØسب الوقت ويركز Ù�ÙŠ اØساسه بالمكان.. Øكالي أنه Ù�ÙŠ القسم كانت يداه مكبلة أمام صدره.. وكل ما يضربوه على ظهره ينØني أكثر ويØاول ازاØØ© الغمامة عن عينيه شيئا Ù�شيئا بدون أن يلØظوا.. شرقاوي استطاع أن ÙŠØتÙ�ظ بانسانيته وسط موقÙ� لا انساني ويضØÙƒ على الأبله الذي نزع عنه ملابسه قائلا “خول ولابس سلب ملون”! شرقاوي كان يضØÙƒ ويقاوم ويÙ�ند مشاعر الخوÙ� التي يشعر بها ويØاول أن يكون منتبها ويجمع المعلومات ويتعرÙ� على الجناة.. كان عارÙ� أنه خارج.. وأن هيكون Ù�يه جمال عيد.. ومنظمات دولية.. وأصØاب وأهل.. وأن لسة المعركة ماخلصتش [...]
[...] Ten minutes passed, and I’m still pushed to the floor. I concluded I was to be detained today. I wondered whether I’ll be taken to the Qasr el-Nil police station for a Sharqawi-style treatment, or would I be taken to Lazoughli, for a friendly meeting with State Security officers. I also tried to look around me from where I was lying down searching for the three disappeared activists. I couldn’t see any. [...]
[...] 3eid said his client, whose body is healing from the torture marks, suspected the security wanted to destroy the old report made on Sunday, (the report hasn’t been disclosed yet to 3eid) and replace it with a new one that does not bear witness to his clients’ treatment in police custody. [...]
[...] “Sharqawi was solid,� said Ahmad Seif. “He refused to be interrogated by the chief State Security prosecutor, who is the same person who interrogated him on his first night of arrest, and who refused to provide him with medical help. Sharqawi protested, and asked to be investigated by a magistrate. We stayed in the room for only ten minutes, after which Sharqawi was returned to Tora once more.� [...]
i just wanted to say how brave you are . I recognize in Egypt the age old mix of corruption & brutality that democracy is supposed to destroy. I t grieves me more than I can say to have been a tourist there, aware of the hardships of the people yet helpless to do anything. It is good to hear that the fight for what is right goes on - not merely the fight for what is Islamic. I still do not understand what it is that oppressors fear - loss of their wealth? Here in England we have lived in peace & freedom for so many years & yet the rich have not been persecuted, & the poor are generally freely educated & able to eat & be part of the political process. I am proud of my heritage, though ashamed of the current governments sin in its heavy hande oppressive war. We seem not to have learned much from our previous acts of Oppression in iraq.
Peace be with you.
[...] One of the bloggers most recently arrested, Moahmmed al-Sharqawi, said that police sexually assaulted him. Gamal Eid, who is part of a team of lawyers defending the bloggers, said that Sharqawi was badly beaten when rousted from a Cairo street last Thursday during a demonstration. [...]
[...] I received a follow up from Nora Younis: Rozza felt hopeful with the political mobility and ran for the Nov 05 parliamentary elections. He used Sadat quote in his campaign and printed it on flyers. Sharkawi was one of the active Youth for Change leaders to help Rozza lead his street campaign and rallies. Moreover, he lived 40 years with and for people but he died alone. He was found in his office after 48 hours of silence. His friends got worried about him and broke in the office to find the body. tragic - Tragic indeed… [...]
[...] State Security Prosecutor renewed today the detention of Mohamed el-Sharqawi and Kareem el-Sha3er, the two Youth for Change activists who were detained and brutally tortured by State Security police on May 25, 2006. [...]
[...] Mohamed el-Sharqawi currently remains in Tahqiq Tora Prison, Cell 8-1. This testimony to his arrest and incarceration comes from one of his letters, which was translated and posted online. [...]
[...] 3amr 3ezzat, another prominent Egyptian blogger ran it following the assault on Sharqawi. [...]
[...] At any rate, the prison did not even get me a bones medical specialist, as the prosecutor ordered. Just, every two days, a doctor passes by, and writes a medical report on my condition. The last person who came and wrote a report about my medical condition was today, Monday. He discovered I had a fracture in my seventh rib, and my left hand wrist, that needs a surgery and the insertion of metal plates. And I took a paper from him saying that, but he refused to mention everything in his official medical report…. [...]
[...] تدهورت الØالة الصØية للناشط Ù…Øمد الشرقاوي مع تجاهل الشرطة توÙ�ير العلاج اللازم لإصابات Ù„Øقت به بعد إختطاÙ� امن الدولة له من وسط القاهرة وتعذيبه أثناء الإختطاÙ� ÙˆÙ�ÙŠ قسم شرطة قصر النيل قبل ثلاثة أسابيع تقريباً ويشكو الشرقاوي من آلام مبرØØ© تتزايد بشكل خاص ليلاً Ù�ÙŠ منطقة الصدر التي أشتكى منها منذ إيداعه سجن طره ÙˆØبسه 15 يوما ثم تجديد Øبسه الأربعاء الماضي 15 يوماً أخرى بتهمة إهانة مبارك ورغم المخاوÙ� التي تأكدت Ù�يما بعد، لم يٌعرض الشرقاوي على أخصائي أو استشاري عظام ÙˆÙ�قاً لقرار النيابة Ù�ÙŠ العرض الأول عليها، وأكتÙ�ت الشرطة بمرور طبيب كل يومين أو ثلاثة لتوقيع كشÙ� ظاهري عليه ثم كتابة تقرير عن Øالته، وصدر أخر تقرير الأثنين الماضي  [...]
sharkawi, your pain is ours. Oneday you will be out and those ignoring the natural law will be crashed by the law
What happened is to be condemed . To say what happened is unique to Egypt is absurd. I fear the terror is used by all states as well as gangs, this includes our so called demcratic states , how about Guantnamo is what is happening there any better? .
What about Israel the apparent saviour of democracy in the Mid East? surely they too need to be condemed for how they de-humanise and treat the Palestinians.
What I read makes me fear the Arab and Moslem countries even more. We in Israel want peace and if the Arab treat their people this way how can we jews expect to live side by side with such Barbaric Gov's
Imagine how the Jews imprisoned by Nasser must have fealt after simialr treatment before they had to leave EGYPT.
We have offered peace many times at great risk to us . This BB convinces me we cannto deal with exisitng Gov's they are savages,
We need many more years before we can deal as civilised nations on equal terms,.
Just think if this happens in Egypt I dread to think what hapopens in Sudan , Yemen, Saudi, Syria etc...
May there be peace in Egypt but I am not sure the region is ready for democracy , it could end up with many Lebanon and Iraq situations.
Anyone remember how democracy failed Egypt in the past? if you read history this is the excuse Nasser used to get ri of the king, look at the mess he created, given time the Arab nations will join the rest of the world, at one time the Arab civilsation kept the world going today they need time to get back their past glory
Good luck to you all - a genuine well wisher .
Thanks for your well wishes Shapiro, and for being touched by Sharqawi's story. This is exactly what happens, however, to Palestinian "terror suspects" who fall in the hands of Israel's Shabak, as documented by international (as well as Israeli) rights watchdogs.
[...] Around 300 activists demonstrated Tuesday evening in front of the press syndicate, calling for the release of the pro-democracy detainees. The demonstrators included several of the recently released detainees, who showed up dressed in the white prison costumes they wore in Tora. The scene was beautiful. Released activists who haven’t seen one another since they got out of prison were hugging, and in tears. Others were recalling their prison stories, and exchanging jokes and laughters. Veteran socialist Kamal Khalil, and his colleagues Wael Khalil and Ibrahim el-Sahary got the lionshare of hugs and kisses. They led the demonstrators, in chants against Mubarak, and against State Security police. Central Security Forces surrounded the syndicate. The usual support brigades of baton-wielding plainclothes thugs were also present, together with few officers from State Security’s CounterCommunism’s Bureau. However, no hassels were witnessed, and one could get into the syndicate easily. The one-hour protest was followed by a conference, organized by the Liberties’ Committee. Several released detainees took the poduim, and shared their experiences with their supporters. Kamal Khalil denounced any talks between the opposition and Mubarak’s National Democratic Party, called for the release of Dr. Ayman Nour, Sharqawi, Sha3er, and the 700+ Muslim Brothers detainees. Kamal also condemned the US support for Mubarak and Israel, affirming that the movement for change in Egypt sees their democracy cause to be organically linked to other regional causes, most importantly Palestine and Iraq. Kamal also expressed his sorrow for the loss of his mentors and colleagues, Ahmad Nabil el-Hilaly, Youssef Darwish and Ahmad Rozza, who passed away while he was in prison. “Rest in peace,” he said to his lost comrades. “I want to assure Hilaly the socialist movement has been revived. The Communists in Egypt are only getting stronger day by day. You taught us a lot, and we will not fail you.” I went out later with 3alaa, Manal, and Malek to a friend’s place where we were supposed to party. Unfortunately, after two hours of laughter, we were showered with SMSs about the Israeli invasion of Gaza. We lost the mood for partying, and decided to go home and follow the news. Israeli tanks, as I write now, are rolling into north and south of the strip. Israeli F-16s have bombed two bridges in Gaza’s central zone. Gaza is now in darkness as Israeli jets shelled the only electric power station Gaza has. [...]